Cleaning device with multi-length bristles

ABSTRACT

A cleaning device is disclosed having a body and plurality of bristles that are attached to the body. The bristles have different lengths and are attached to the body in such a way so as to provide a V-Shaped or U-Shaped cleaning head for the cleaning device.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to cleaning devices and, more particularly, to a cleaning device with multi-length bristles.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Certain cleaning devices use bristles for dislodging and/or removing dirt and debris from a surface. The bristles are typically attached to a body that may or may not have a handle. Examples of such cleaning devices are brooms and various forms of brushes for cleaning a variety of objects or different types of surfaces. When the bristles are applied to a surface to be cleaned and the cleaning device is moved in a cleaning direction, all or a large number of the bristles bend causing the tips of some of the bristles to come into contact with the surface. However, the remaining bristles bend extensively and contact the surface along their lengths. Because the tips of the bristles significantly contribute to the dislodging and removing of dirt and debris from the surface, a large portion of the bristles, i.e., the extensively bent bristles, do not contribute to the cleaning process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003]FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an exemplary cleaning device in the form of a broom constructed in accordance with the teachings of the instant disclosure.

[0004]FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the broom of FIG. 1.

[0005]FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the broom of FIG. 1 shown in application.

[0006]FIGS. 4 and 5 are front and side elevational views, respectively, of another exemplary cleaning device in the form of a brush constructed in accordance with the teachings of the instant invention.

[0007]FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a prior art broom shown in application.

[0008]FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevational view of another exemplary cleaning device in the form of a broom constructed in accordance with the teachings of the instant disclosure.

[0009]FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view of the broom of FIG. 1.

[0010]FIG. 9 is a view of an exemplary bristle with a flagged tip.

[0011]FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of another exemplary cleaning device in the form of a broom constructed in accordance with the teachings of the instant disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EXAMPLES

[0012] Referring to FIGS. 1-5 and 7, examples of a cleaning device 10 in accordance with the teachings of the instant disclosure are generally shown, where like reference numbers identify like parts. The cleaning device 10 includes a body 22 and plurality of bristles 24 that are attached to the body 22. The bristles 24 have different lengths and are attached to the body 22 in such a way so as to provide a V-shaped or a U-Shaped (shown in FIG. 10) cleaning head 30 for the cleaning device 10 when viewed perpendicular to a normal cleaning direction, such as, a first cleaning direction 31 and a second cleaning direction 33, which is opposite the first cleaning direction 31 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0013] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a first example of the cleaning device 10 in the form of a broom 20 is generally shown. The broom 20 incorporates the body 22, the plurality of bristles 24 that are attached to the body 22, and a handle 26. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the body 22 may be constructed as a one-piece body 22 (not shown), or include a bristle holder 28 attached thereto, as shown in FIGS. 1-3. Accordingly, the bristles 24 are either directly attached to the body 22, where the body 22 is one-piece (not shown), or attached to the bristle holder 28, as shown in FIGS. 1-3. The free ends of the bristles 24 define a cleaning head 30 that contacts a cleaning surface 32 (shown in FIG. 3) when the broom 22 is used for cleaning.

[0014] One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that when the bristles 24 are similar in length, the shape of the cleaning head 30 will generally correspond to the shape of the portion of the body 22 or the bristle holder 28, to which the bristles 24 are attached. However, as is well known to one of ordinary skill in the art, the length of the bristles 24, the angle of attachment of the bristles 24 to the body 22 or the bristle holder 28, and the pattern of attachment of the bristles 24 to the body 22 or the bristle holder 28 can also determine the shape of the cleaning head 30. Accordingly, the body 22 or the bristle holder 28 may be constructed in any desired shape. Also, the bristles 24 can be attached to the body 22 or the bristle holder 28 in any configuration to achieve a desired shape for the cleaning head 30.

[0015] In the disclosed example, the body 22 and the bristle holder 28 are oblong, i.e., the length of the body 22 and the length of the bristle holder 28 are larger than the width of the body 22 and the bristle holder 28. Accordingly, the cleaning head 30 is defined by a longitudinal axis 34 (shown in FIG. 1) and a lateral axis 36 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 3). Also, the first cleaning direction 31 and the second cleaning direction 33 are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 34.

[0016] It is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art that bristles of a broom clean a surface by dislodging dirt and debris from the surface and/or pushing the dirt and debris in the direction of movement of the broom. Referring to FIG. 6, a typical broom 40 is shown having bristles 44 of substantially equal length that provide a flat cleaning head 50. When the broom 40 is pressed downward on the surface 32 and moved in the first cleaning direction 31, the bristles 44 fan out at the tips and bend. Similarly, when the broom 40 is pressed downward on the surface 32 and moved in the second cleaning direction 33, the bristles 44 fan out at the tips and bend. As a result, only the tips of some of the bristles 44 contact the surface 32. Accordingly, the size of the cleaning head 50 is reduced in application to an effective cleaning head 58. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the larger the effective cleaning head 58, the more effective cleaning power a broom will have. In other words, the cleaning power of broom 40 is directly related to the number of tips of the bristles 44 contacting the surface 32 during cleaning.

[0017] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 8, the cleaning head 30 is defined laterally by a first side 60 and a second side 62. The bristles 24 that are attached to the very edge of the first side 60 and the very edge of the second side 62 are the shortest of the bristles 24. The bristles 24 progressively increase in length from the first side 60 towards the second side 62 up to a cleaning edge 64. Similarly, the bristles 24 progressively increase in length from the second side 62 towards the first side 60 up to the cleaning edge 64. The cleaning edge 64 is generally parallel with the longitudinal axis 34 and is generally disposed between the first side 60 and the second side 62, extending the length of the cleaning head 30. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the cleaning edge 64 may be more delineated (i.e., more edge like) for a V-shaped cleaning head 30 than a U-shaped cleaning head 30 (i.e., more curved like) because of the natural curvature of the U-shape. Accordingly, the bristles 24 form V-Shaped or U-Shaped (shown in FIG. 10) cleaning head 30 having a first cleaning head region 70 and a second cleaning head region 72, with the cleaning edge 64 joining or disposed between the first cleaning head region 70 and the second cleaning head region 72.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 3, when the broom 20 is used in the first cleaning direction 31, the bending and the fanning out of the bristles 24 as the broom is pressed downward on the surface 32 cause all or a large portion of the tips of the bristles 24 on the first cleaning head region 70 to contact the surface 32. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that because the bristles 24 are progressively shorter in the first cleaning direction 31, downward pressure on the bristles 24 in conjunction with the movement of the broom 20 in the first cleaning direction 31 provide uniform bending of the bristles 24 in the first cleaning head region 70. As a result, all or a large portion of the first cleaning head region 70 becomes an effective cleaning head 74 in the first cleaning direction 31.

[0019] Similarly, when the broom 20 is used in the second cleaning direction 33, the bending and the fanning out of the bristles 24 as the broom is pressed downward on the surface 32 cause all or a large portion of the tips of the bristles 24 on the second cleaning head region 72 to contact the surface 32 (not shown). One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that because the bristles 24 are progressively shorter in the second cleaning direction 33, downward pressure on the bristles 24 in conjunction with movement of the broom 20 in the second cleaning direction 33 provides uniform bending of the bristles 24 in the second cleaning head region 72. As a result, all or a large portion of the second cleaning head region 72 becomes an effective cleaning head 76 in the second cleaning direction 33 (not shown).

[0020] One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the cleaning head 30 of the foregoing example is symmetric in the lengthwise direction parallel with the longitudinal axis 34 and disposed an equal distance from the first side 60 and the second side 62 (i.e., in the middle between the first side 60 and the second side 62). Accordingly, the cleaning head 30 provides equally effective application of the broom 20 in both the first cleaning direction 31 and the second cleaning direction 33. In other words, the first cleaning head region 70 and the second cleaning head region 72 can be generally similar in size and shape so that the broom 20 can be used in both the first and second cleaning directions 31, 33 without any difference in cleaning effectiveness, regardless of which side 60, 62 faces which cleaning direction 31, 33.

[0021] However, one of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that the cleaning head 30 may be constructed in an asymmetric fashion. For instance, as shown in FIG. 7, the cleaning edge 64 may be placed nearer to the first side 60. In such a case, the second cleaning head region 72 is larger than the first cleaning head region 70. Such a broom 20 will have different effective cleaning heads in the first and second cleaning directions 31, 33, which may be desirable for particular applications. However, one or ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the symmetry of the cleaning head 30 of the disclosed examples provides the versatility of effectively using the broom 20 in either the first cleaning direction 31 or the second cleaning direction 33, which is how most brooms are typically used.

[0022] One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any cleaning device 10 that uses a plurality of bristles for cleaning a surface can be constructed in accordance with the teachings of the instant disclosure. For example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a cleaning device 10 in the form of a handheld brush 80 can be constructed having a V-Shaped or U-Shaped (shown in FIG. 10) cleaning head 82 and a handle 84. Such brushes 80 can be used for cleaning tables, counters, and hard to reach areas where a broom may not be effective.

[0023] In another example, a cleaning device 10 in the form of a handle-less brush (not shown) can be constructed in accordance with the teachings of the instant disclosure. Those of ordinary skill in the art will further appreciate that the disclosed cleaning devices can also be used as brushes for applying or distributing a liquid or paste material on a surface. For instance, a paint brush (not shown) having a V-Shaped or U-Shaped (shown in FIG. 10) bristle applicator head (i.e., cleaning head) will be more effective in applying and distributing paint on the surface. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the teachings of the instant disclosure are applicable to any type of device that uses bristles for either dislodging and/or removing objects from a surface, or applying and/or distributing a material on a surface.

[0024] One of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate the numerous materials by which various parts of a cleaning device 10 in accordance with the teachings of the instant disclosure can be constructed. For example, the body 22, the bristle holder 28, and the handle 26 of the broom 20 can be constructed from wood, metal, plastics, composite materials, and/or combinations thereof. The bristles 24 can be constructed from natural or synthetic fibers or materials. However, in the disclosed example, the bristles 24 are constructed from a plastic material such as thermoplastic elastomers or foam. The bristles 24 can also be manufactured to have flagged tips, as shown in FIG. 9, to increase the number of bristle tips that come into contact with a cleaning surface 32.

[0025] One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size and V-Shaped or U-Shaped (shown in FIG. 10) configuration of the cleaning head 30 can vary based on the angle of the V-Shaped or U-Shaped (shown in FIG. 10) cleaning head, the lateral variation (i.e., relative to the lateral axis 36) in the length of bristles 24 across the cleaning head 30, and the width of the cleaning head 30. For instance, particular applications of a broom or a brush may require a particular configuration of the V-Shaped or U-Shaped (shown in FIG. 10) cleaning head 30. Thus, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size and configuration of the V-Shaped or U-Shaped (shown in FIG. 10) cleaning head 30 can be varied based on each particular application for a cleaning device 10. For instance, the size and configuration of the V-Shaped or U-Shaped (shown in FIG. 10) cleaning head 30 may depend on whether the cleaning device 10 is a broom or a brush, what type of surface the cleaning device 10 is applied to, and the expected procedure for using the cleaning device 10 (i.e., movement of cleaning head 30, where the handle 26 is typically held by a user, the stroke of the cleaning device 10 by which a surface is cleaned, etc.).

[0026] Although certain apparatus constructed in accordance with the teachings of the invention have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all embodiments of the teachings of the invention fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cleaning device comprising: a body; and a plurality of bristles, each bristle attached to the body at one end and having a free end; wherein the free ends of the plurality of bristles define a cleaning head having a first side and a second side; wherein the bristles near a center of the cleaning head are longer than the bristles near the first side and the second side when viewing the cleaning head perpendicular to a cleaning direction.
 2. A cleaning device according to claim 1, the body comprising a bristle holder, wherein the plurality of bristles are attached to the bristle holder.
 3. A cleaning device according to claim 1, further comprising a handle attached to the body.
 4. A cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of bristles includes a flagged tip.
 5. A cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of bristles are constructed from at least one synthetic material.
 6. A cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of bristles are constructed from at least one natural material.
 7. A cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning device is a broom.
 8. A cleaning device comprising: a body; a plurality of bristles, each bristle having an end attached to the body and a free end; and a cleaning head defined by the free ends of the plurality of bristles, the cleaning head comprising: a first side a second side; and a cleaning edge disposed between the first side and the second side; wherein the length of each bristle between the first side and the cleaning edge progressively increases from the first side towards the second side up to the cleaning edge; and wherein the length of each bristle between the second side and the cleaning edge progressively increases from the second side towards the first side up to the cleaning edge.
 9. A cleaning device according to claim 8, wherein cleaning edge is disposed an equal distance from the first side and the second side.
 10. A cleaning device according to claim 8, the body comprising a bristle holder, wherein the plurality of bristles are attached to the bristle holder.
 11. A cleaning device according to claim 8, further comprising a handle attached to the body.
 12. A cleaning device according to claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of bristles includes a flagged tip.
 13. A cleaning device according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of bristles are constructed from at least one synthetic material.
 14. A cleaning device according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of bristles are constructed from at least one natural material.
 15. A cleaning device according to claim 8, wherein the cleaning device is a broom.
 16. A cleaning device comprising: a body; a plurality of bristles, each bristle being attached to the body at one end and having a free end, the free ends of the plurality of bristles defining a first cleaning head region, a second cleaning head region and a cleaning edge disposed between the first cleaning head region and the second cleaning head region; means for causing a substantial number of the bristles of the first cleaning head region to contact a cleaning surface when moving the first cleaning head region in a first cleaning direction; and means for causing a substantial number of the bristles of the second cleaning head region to contact the cleaning surface when moving the second cleaning head region in a second cleaning direction.
 17. A cleaning device according to claim 16, wherein the first cleaning head region and the second cleaning head region are substantially the same size.
 18. A cleaning device according to claim 16, the body comprising a bristle holder, wherein the plurality of bristles are attached to the bristle holder.
 19. A cleaning device according to claim 16, further comprising a handle attached to the body.
 20. A cleaning device according to claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of bristles includes a flagged tip.
 21. A cleaning device according to claim 16, wherein the plurality of bristles are constructed from at least one synthetic material.
 22. A cleaning device according to claim 16, wherein the plurality of bristles are constructed from at least one natural material.
 23. A cleaning device according to claim 16, wherein the cleaning device is a broom. 